Terra Guitarra

Product Notes

Terra Guitarra is the first all instrumental guitar project from the Midwest's premier acoustic duo Patchouli. (imbed link in Patchouli) ?? Bruce Hecksel and Julie Patchouli, lifelong students of music, are both accomplished multi-instrumentalists. Bruce's post graduate study of theology and symbology, classical study in piano, guitar and composition coupled with Julie's studies in ethnobotany, environmental studies and her instrumental range from trombone, upright bass, guitar, marimba and percussion allow them to explore, synthesize and contrast world musical styles with deft fluidity and a broad based spiritual undertone. Terra Guitarra is their 10th full length album of all original compositions in the 10 years of performing together. This duo is renowned as a dynamic group with super high energy acoustic music. Inspired by Earnest Ranglin, Leo Kottke, Rev. Gary Davis, Paco de Lucia, Randy Rhodes, and Tony Rice in the reggae, fingerstyle, blues, rock, flamenco, and folk idioms they created their own modern acoustic musical style, "world folkmenco". Performing blazing nuevomenco style pieces on steel string guitars to inspiring power folk mantras, their energy and chemistry leaves the audience uniquely uplifted and transformed. Tireless touring troubadours, Bruce and Julie have performed over 1600 times covering enough ground on the road to equal over 6 times around the earth. They consider themselves spectators but also participants in the evolution of culture and the lives and experiences of the countless people they've met along the way. On their tours and in the studio the duo are occasionally joined by conguero Willy Crow Mojo, who appears on selected tracks of Terra Guitarra, and drummer and percussionist Justin Webb. The Story of Terra Guitarra: The landscape speaking through guitar. This album was created by intentionally listening to the terroir of places I have come across in my travels. From walking along pristine trout streams, dense woodlands, golden meadows, ancient cobblestones, and watching smoldering sunsets and the emergence of the Harvest moon. The songs in this collection were received whole as compositions from the land itself, held in my mind and immediately recorded on guitar to captivate the original voice of the place. Some of the pieces reflect dialogue between the place and the emotional state I carried into it, such as moments of joy, of profound loss, ecstasy and new beginnings. While in other instances I was in a state of openness and it seemed as if I was hearing the voice of the land simply reveling in it's existence. Through this project I had a sense the Earth was itself reaching out to balance my energy and emotions and in so doing imparted it's essence in these melodies. It is my hope that Terra Guitarra will speak to you in it's own way on your listening journey. Bruce Hecksel.

Credits

Terra Guitarra is the first all instrumental guitar project from the Midwest's premier acoustic duo Patchouli. (imbed link in Patchouli) ?? Bruce Hecksel and Julie Patchouli, lifelong students of music, are both accomplished multi-instrumentalists. Bruce's post graduate study of theology and symbology, classical study in piano, guitar and composition coupled with Julie's studies in ethnobotany, environmental studies and her instrumental range from trombone, upright bass, guitar, marimba and percussion allow them to explore, synthesize and contrast world musical styles with deft fluidity and a broad based spiritual undertone. Terra Guitarra is their 10th full length album of all original compositions in the 10 years of performing together. This duo is renowned as a dynamic group with super high energy acoustic music. Inspired by Earnest Ranglin, Leo Kottke, Rev. Gary Davis, Paco de Lucia, Randy Rhodes, and Tony Rice in the reggae, fingerstyle, blues, rock, flamenco, and folk idioms they created their own modern acoustic musical style, "world folkmenco". Performing blazing nuevomenco style pieces on steel string guitars to inspiring power folk mantras, their energy and chemistry leaves the audience uniquely uplifted and transformed. Tireless touring troubadours, Bruce and Julie have performed over 1600 times covering enough ground on the road to equal over 6 times around the earth. They consider themselves spectators but also participants in the evolution of culture and the lives and experiences of the countless people they've met along the way. On their tours and in the studio the duo are occasionally joined by conguero Willy Crow Mojo, who appears on selected tracks of Terra Guitarra, and drummer and percussionist Justin Webb. The Story of Terra Guitarra: The landscape speaking through guitar. This album was created by intentionally listening to the terroir of places I have come across in my travels. From walking along pristine trout streams, dense woodlands, golden meadows, ancient cobblestones, and watching smoldering sunsets and the emergence of the Harvest moon. The songs in this collection were received whole as compositions from the land itself, held in my mind and immediately recorded on guitar to captivate the original voice of the place. Some of the pieces reflect dialogue between the place and the emotional state I carried into it, such as moments of joy, of profound loss, ecstasy and new beginnings. While in other instances I was in a state of openness and it seemed as if I was hearing the voice of the land simply reveling in it's existence. Through this project I had a sense the Earth was itself reaching out to balance my energy and emotions and in so doing imparted it's essence in these melodies. It is my hope that Terra Guitarra will speak to you in it's own way on your listening journey. Bruce Hecksel.